Catching up with the Rampage’s Nate DiCasmirro

I had a chance to visit with the Rampage’s Nate DiCasmirro recently and welcomed him to San Antonio after he departed my favorite team’s organization, the Boston Bruins.

DICASMIRRO — It took a couple of games to get settled in, but the pucks have started to drop in for me.

TONYU — I grew up in Boston so it must have been cool playing for the Bruins organization, but now you’re with Phoenix and maybe your chances of playing in the NHL have improved because they are a younger team.

DICASMIRRO — It was great going to Boston, one of the Original Six teams, a great organization, things didn’t work out, came down here in San Antonio and you never know what can happen.

TONYU — You’ve taken the workman approach to get here, not getting drafted, you played in the junior leagues and now you’re playing in the AHL. How cool is that?

DICASMIRRO — Yeah, living a dream, playing pro hockey, come to the rink everyday, work hard and make it to the NHL someday.

TONYU — Now, no slight here, but we’re talking here and I can actually look at you eye-to-eye. You’re a little guy out there (5-9), what’s you’re attitude on the ice being your size.

DICASMIRRO — I don’t know, I never really paid attention too much. I just go out there and play, use my strengths as I can, I know I’m not the biggest guy on the ice and luckily I’m not the smallest so I do what I can.

TONUYU — Junior hockey, most folks down here don’t understand it although they have a team here (the Diablos at the Northwoods Ice Center). What was that like to have to leave home as a teenager and play in a different place.

DICASMIRRO — I look back now it was unreal. I remember the first time after Christmas and being homesick but it set me up, either play high school hockey back in Minnesota or move away and I decided to move away. I firmly believe I wouldn’t be here today without doing it.

TONYU — Then you got signed by Edmonton. That had to be pretty cool to have an NHL team come knocking on the door.

DICASMIRRO — Yeah it was kinda nice. The Oilers were my favorite team growing up. About a week after my senior season ended, my agent called me ‘you want to be an Oiler’ and I was just thrilled. ‘Ok, grab your gear, you’re flying out tomorrow to go play in Hamilton’ so it was unreal, a dream come true and I was hoping to play at least one NHL game with the Oilers. It worked out, I got to play in a pre-season game with the Oilers up in Canada. It was great.

DICASMIRRO — It kinda started when I wore 12 for years growing up, but in my freshman year in college there was an upperclassman who wore number 12 and I tried everything to get it from him, buy it, but he wouldn’t budge. I wore 26 my freshman year, almost break an ankle was out for over half the year. Guess this wasn’t working out, I kinda wanted a number nobody else would want to wear so I took 13 and stuck with it ever since.

TONYU — Well it seems to be doing the job right now with the Rampage, what about this team right now?

DICASMIRRO — We compete every night. I like the way the guys play here. I played with and against a couple of the guys here so I knew a little bit about them coming in. I’m just thrilled. It’s fun playing hockey here, the guys are great. It’s awesome.

TONYU — Who’s responsible for that? We haven’t seen this here in San Antonio for some time that type of hard working team?

DICASMIRRO — I think G-I (Greg Ireland) has a lot to do with that. I played for him in Grand Rapids and a little bit in my rookie year in Hamilton. He really held us accountable. I think a lot of the players they’ve brought in here. From the coach it’s the attitude through to the players, the assistant coach, everyone works hard every night.

TONYU — What about San Antonio? Have you had any chance to explore the town?

DICASMIRRO — Been here a couple of times, been to the Riverwalk, the Alamo. I like it a lot. My fiance has been down here for a bit and she loved it down here.

So it worked out pretty well. My dad is a little jealous that I can go to the driving range and it’s minus 30 where he lives. I call to rub it in a little bit.